Process and apparatus for separating and extracting the fibers from fibrous materials



F. H. POWERS. PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING AND EXTRACTING THE FIBERS FROM FIBROUS MATERIALS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY19| 1919.

m MR 0% ank'hln H. Powers F. H. POWERS.

PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR'SEPARATING AND EXTRACTING THE FIBERS FROM FIBROUS MATERIALS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY19.1919.

1,359,101. Patented Nov. 16,1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2'.

1, a fianklin HPWEPS 5M UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANKLIN H. POWERS WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA, 'ASSIGNOR OF ONE FO-URTH TO HARRY C. FUGA'IE, ONE-FOURTH TO LEWIS E. HEISLER, AND ONE-FOURTH TO RAYMOND C. KETCHAM, ALL OF WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA.

PnooEss AND APPARA US FOR SEPARATIN'G AND EXTRAGTING FIBBOUS MATERIALS.

To all whom it mag concern.

Be it known that I, FRANKLIN H. POWERS, a citizen of the United States, residing at West Palm Beach, in the county of Palm Beach and State of Florida, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes and Apparatus for Separatingandv Extracting the Fibers from Fibrous Materials, of whichthe'following is a specification.

This invention relates to a process and apparatus for separating and extracting the fibers from fibrous growths or material, such as endogens, namely coconut stems, palmetto, pineapple, and the like and an object of the invention is to provide a machine for this purpose wherein the fibrous material will be alternately subjected to crushing action of vertical and horizontal rolls for crushing the Ifibrous material and squeezing the juices therefrom and also partially effeet the separation of the fibers, and further to provide jets of suitable cleansing fluid such as water or the like,.whioh jets engage about the fibrous material from opposite directions during its passage from one set of rolls to the rolls in the set next thereto-for cleaning the fibers of acid, pulp and foreign matter, and also lubricating or softening the fibers, preventingthe cutting action of fiber upon .fiber or roll on fiber in the succeeding roll, and further attaining such bleaching of the fiber as is obtained by the action of the cleansing fluid or water.

Another object of the invention is to provide in a'machine as specified, a plurality of sets of vertical and horizontal drying rolls having yieldable surfaces between which the fiber passes after leaving the crushing and separating rolls, from which drying rolls the fiber emerges in a clean,

dry and separated state.

A further object of the invent on is to provide adjustable yieldable mounting for certain of said rolls to protect the fibrous material from jam and injury, and al o to provide suitable pans or containers for re ceiving the by-products, such as the iuices which are squeezed from the-material during the passing between the rolls nd washed therefrom by the j et of the cleansing fluids, to permit use of such by-products. Other objects of the invention will ap- Specificationof Letters Patent. I P t t dNm 1 1920, Application flIed May 19, 1919. Serial No. 298,076. i i I plan of thernachine having of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 4 is a cross-section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Referring more particularlyto the drawform of the machine which has upstanding i sides 11 and 12 attached thereto and to which upper sides th'etop 13 of the frame of the "machine. is connected; The upstanding sides 11 and'12 are thickened at spaced points intermediate their ends and are provided with bearing openings formingbearings or journals for a plurality of horizontally positioned shafts 14, while the said thickened portions 15 of the sides are further provided at spaced dis'tancesfrom the bearing openings which form journals for the shafts 14 with elongated substantially oval-shaped openings 16 which receive therein bearing collars 17 in wh ch the ends of theshafts 18 FIBERS rnomf a.

a part of this specifica- 'ings, wherein like characters indicate like "and corresponding parts throughout the several views, 10 indicates the supporting platare journaled. The shafts 18 are positioned directly above theshafts14 and their axes are parallel as clearly shown in the drawings. The side portions 11 and 12 are provided with vertically extending openings 19 a therein, in the lower ends of which' -are seated spiral springs 20, The springs 20 engage against the b arings 17 and against plates or disks2l which 'are'mounted inthe vertical openings 19 and mama whiclrdisks the. inner ends of bolts 22 abut. The bolts 22 are threadably connectedas' shown at 23 to the housing to perm t their adjustment to re u te the tens on of the springs 20.

Rollers 24 and 25 are mounted upon the "shafts 14 and 18 respectively and the adjacent portions of these rollers are'slightly spaced as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 3 of the drawings to permit thepassing between the rollers of the fibrous material;

- and may be made ,fromany suitable material stantially equal in diameterto-the rolls 24 and 25 and whichhave their adjacent por- "tions a distance substantially equal to the distancebetween the adjacent portion of the rolls 24 and 25 to permit of the passing between the rolls of each vertical set of the fibrous material.

The rolls 24 and 25 pulleys withsmooth surfaces or otherwise,

other than steel, such as wood,cement, rubber, iron or other material or combinations thereof. If steel rollers are used it may be necessary to coat the same with bronze so that the acid from the fiber material will not afl'ect the surfaces as much as theiexposed steel rollers; V I r V i The rolls 26 are mounted upon shafts 28, which are journaled in suitable upper and lower bearings 29 and 30. The bearings 30 are seated in recesses 31 formed in the upper surface of the bottom of support 10 of the supporting structure of the machine, and are held in proper position and in such inanner as to permit limited movement thereof by spiral springs 32, the inner ends ofv which engage against the bearing blocks 30 while the outer ends are engaged by bolts or set screws 38 threadably carried by the supporting base 10 for adjustment to permit the regulating f; of thetension of the springs 32. The upper bearings 25? of the shafts 28 are slidably POSItlOIlQCl 1n elongated openings 34 formed in the top or upper portions 13 of the supporting structure of the machine and they .have flanges '35 formed upon their ends to prevent moving of the bearing members laterally through the elongated openings 84. Spiral springs 36 engage against the bearings 29 and have their outer ends in turn engaged by bolts 37 which are adjustably carried by the supporting ring ofthe machine to permit their adjustment to regulate the tension of the springs 36- and consequently regulate the amount of pressure which is necessary to allow the rollers 26 to yield" on its bearing or to move from the rolls 27 of each set. -The rolls '27 of the sets are mounted-upon suitable carrying shafts of -vertical rolls 38', the lower ends. of which are journaled in thrust'bearings 39- carried; by the supporting base 10, while the upper ends of the shafts are-journaled inbearings 40 carried by the topuornp per portion 13 of the supi-portmg structure.

- The horizontal shafts 14 and 18 are exttended, through the side portion 12 of the supporting frame of the machine and have gears 41 and 42 respectively mounted therei on. These "gears, of each setof the horizontal shafts mesh" with gears 43and 44 of" be plain steel slightly greater diameter than the gears 41 and 42. The gears 43'and 44 are carried by stub shafts 45 and 46 respectively, and thus power is transmitted from one set of the horizontal rollers in the machine to the next set of horizontal rollers. The shafts 28 and Cleansing liquid supply..,pipes 5 2 and53,

are carried by the supporting structure of the machine, one above and the otherbelow the set of Vertical rollers or rolls, and trans A versely extending nozzles 54 ,are connected to these supply pipes at spaced points, the" said nozzle being positioned between the rolls 26 and 27 of each set of vertical rolls outwardly of the nearest portion "of these rollsas clearly shown in Fig. 1 of the draw- 'ings. The nozzles terminate shortdistances upon each side of the horizontal center of the machine so that the fibrous material while passing from oneset of horizontal rollers to thegset of vertical rollers next thQTGtOOI' from between the verticalurolls to the set of horizontal'rolls-n ext thereto will be subjected to crossed ets of water or analogous cleansing fluid for freeing the fibrous materialof juices, acids, pulps and other foreign material, as wellas for assisting in the disintegration of the fibrous material and the separation of the fiber thereof.

A pan or trough 55 is positioned be neath therolls of the machine and also be-' neath the lower supply pipe 53 for receiving the cleansing fluid, and the juices which are squeezed from the fibrous material by the crushing and separating rolls. An outlet pipe 56 has communication with the outer end of the trough 55 andis adapted-to carry oil? the juices or by-products to permit them .to be used commercially 'ifdesired,

V The supply pipes 52 and 53 and consequently, the sets of nozzles 54 terminate for-' wardly of the rear or out-let end of the machine, and the rolls of the vertical and horizontal sets rearwardly of the terminals of the supply pipes and nozzles have coverings or coatings 60 of yieldable material such as rubber, cork or the like upon their fiber engaging surfaces, the said rolls being adapted to squeeze the water from the fibers, causing the fibers to emerge at the outlet end ,of the machine in a dry, clean and separated state. I V Adrive pulley 61 is positioned at or adacent t0 the delivery end of themachine, it

being mounted upon a suitable shaft62. A gear 63 ismounted upon the shaft 62 and 7 it meshes with the uppermost gear at; of the rearmost set of gears. The shaft 62 has a bevel 64' mounted thereon which meshes with a bevel gear 65'mounted upon a vertical stub shaft 66'which is carried by the top 13 of the supporting structure of the machine. Thestub shaft 66 has a gear 67 mounted thereon which meshes with the gear 4:8 of the rearmost set of gears 47 and :48 as clearly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings V The fibrous growths or material enter the machine; first having pressure applied thereto against opposite sides for flattening it by thefirst pair of horizontal rollers 24 and25and upon emerging from between these rollers the crushed material is subjected to cross streams or jetsof water or analogous cleansing fluid issuing from the first set of nozzles 54: and the material then passes between the first set of vertical'rolls 26 and 27, where pressure is applied at other opposite sides, namely at right angles to the pressure which is applied by the horizontal rolls. Upon issuing from between the first set of vertical rolls, the thuscrushed matejets of cleansing fluid and then passes be- @fluid. rial is then subjected to the action of crossed .and extracting the fibers from fibrous maconsists in first bringing pressure upon fibrous material at opposite sides of the mass, subjecting the fibrous material to action of a jet of cleansing fluid and subsequently bringing pressure upon other opposite sides ofthemass. Q V

3. That process of separating and extracting the fibers from fibrous material which consists in first bringing pressure upon the fibrous material at oppositelsides of the mass, subjecting the fibrous material to action of crossed jets of cleansing fluid'and subsequently bringing pressure'upon other opposite sides of the'mass; 1

4. That pr'ocessof separating and extracting the fibers from fibrous material which consists in first bringing pressure uponthe fibrous material at opposite sides of the mass, subjecting the fibrous material to ac' {tion of a jet of cleansing fluid, bringing pressure upon other opposite sides of the ass, and again subjecting the fibrous mai erial to the action oi the jet of cleansing 5. Those steps in process of separating tween a second set of horizontal rolls, this'terial which consists in first bringing presoperation being continued until the fibrous sure upon the fibrous material at opposite material has passed between all of the setsgsi des of the mass, bringing pressure upon ofhlrehrtlcal tnhd hOr1Z intal5 iolleic'ls QSfStOCIELEZdOLhGI" opposite sldes of the mass, and subw 10 are e nozz es an a er e fibrous materials have passed through these sides of the mass upon which the pressure sets of rollers it will have the fiber thereofwas originally applied. I separated and extracted, the pulp, juices 6. Those steps in process ofseparating and foreign matter having been washedand extracting the fibers from fibrous' maaway by the jets of water and deposited in the trough 55. After leaving the crushing'sure upon the fibrous material at opposite and separating rolls, the fiber is then passed sides of the mass, bringing pressure upon terial which consists in first bringing pres able or pliable outer surfaces 60 which through the alternate horizontal and vertiother oppositesides of the mass, 'subsequently bringing pressure upon opposite cal sets of drying rolls, which have yieldsqueezes the water from the fiber causing it to emerge at the outlet end of the machine in a'thoroughly clean, dry and separated the mass and subse uentl a 1 in 7 1 i 2-:

des of the mass'upon which the pressure as originally applied, and subsequently Iapplying pressure to the mass to dry the consists in first bringing pressure upon the fibrous material opposite sides of the mass, subjecting the fibrous materials to action of crossed jets of cleansing fluid, bringing pressure upon other opposite sides of pressure tothe mass to dry the same. 8. That process of separating and extracting the fibers from fibrous materialswhich consists in first brin in )ressure uaon'the 1 r h sequently bringing pressure-upon opposite mass, again subjecting the fibrous material to action of a jet of cleansing fiuid,vand subsequentlyapplying pressure to the mass to dry the same;

9. 'That process of separating and extract ing the fibers lfromffibrous material which consists in first bringing pressure upon the fibrous material at opposite sides of the mass, subjecting the fibrous material to tion of the crossed jets of cleansing fluid,

. bringing pressure upon other-opposite sides oi the -111t1SS,"l'g2tl'Il subjectingthemass to action of crossed ets of cleansing fluid, and subsequentlyapplymg ressure to themass "to dry the same.

10. In an apparatus for separating and extracting'the'fibers from fibrous material, the combination, in-a'unitary structure, of a plurality of sets of vertical and horizontal crushing and separating rolls having smooth surfaces.

111. In an apparatus for separating and extracting the fibers from fibrous material, the combination, in a unitary structure, of a plurality of sets of vertical and horizontal crushing and separating: roll and adjustplurality of sets of vertical and horizontal crushing and separating rolls, liquid supply pipes above and below said vertical rolls,

vand nozzles branching from said supply pipes for directing jets of cleansing fluid from opposite directions against the fibrous material during passage thereof from one.

set of rolls to the set next thereto.

14. In an apparatus for separating and extracting the fibers from fibrous material, the combination, in a unitary structure, of a plurality of sets of horizontal crushing and separating rollers, a plurality of sets of vertical crushing and separating rollers, oppositely disposed nozzles for directing jets against'the fibrous material during passage thereof from one set of rolls to the set next thereto, and supply pipes for supplying V fluid to said nozzles.

15.'In an apparatus for separating and i extracting the fibers from fibrous material.

the combination, in a'unitary structure, of a plurality of sets of horizontal crushing of fluid from opposite directions and separatingrollers, a plurality of sets of vertical crushing and separating rollers,

01 ositel disposed nozzles for directin 1P 3 V g at angles to the rolls in the set next thereto.

17. In an apparatus for separating and extracting fibers from 'fibrous material, the-combination,- in a unitary structure, of a plurality of sets of crushing and separating rolls, the rolls in oneset being disposed at angles Withrespect to the rolls in the set next thereto, oppositely disposed nozzles arranged for directing jets of fluid from =opposite-directions against fibrous materials during passage thereoffrom one set of rolls to the set next thereto, and supply pipes for supplying fluid to said nozzles.

18. In an apparatus for separating and extracting fibers from fibrous material, the combination, in a unitary structure, of a plurality of sets of crushing and separating rolls, the rolls in one set being disposed at angles with respect to the rol-lsin the set next thereto, oppositely disposed nozzles arranged for directing jets of fluid from opposite directions against fibrous materials during passage thereof from one set of rolls to the set next thereto, supply pipes for supplying fluid to said nozzles, and a pan posi-.

-tioned beneath said rolls for receiving the juices squeezed from the fibrous material.

19. In anapparatus for separating and extracting fibers from fibrous material, the combination, in a unitary structure, of a plurality of sets of crushing and separating rolls, the rolls in one set being disposed at angles with respect tothe rolls in the set next thereto, oppositely disposed -nozzles arranged for directing'jets of fluid from opposite directions against fibrous materials during passagethereof from one set of rolls to the set next thereto, supply pipes for supplying fluid to said nozzles, a pan positioned beneath said'rolls for receiving the juices squeezed from the fibrous material,

and adjustable yieldable bearings for roll of each set.

20. In an apparatus for separating and extracting the fibers from fibrous material, the combination, 1n a unitary structure, of

a plurality of sets of crushing and separating rolls, the rolls in one set being disposed in angular relation to the rolls in the set next thereto, said rolls having smooth material engaging surfaces.

21. In an apparatus for separating and extracting the fibers from fibrous material, the combination, in a unitary structure, of a plurality of sets of crushing and separating rolls, the rolls in one set being disposed in angular relation to the rolls in the set next thereto, means for supporting said rolls, means for rotating the rolls, liquid supply pipes carried by said supporting means, and nozzles carried by said supply pipes for directing crossed jets cleansing fluid against the fibrous material, during passage thereof from one set of rolls to the set next thereto.

22. In an apparatus for separating and extracting the fibers from fibrous material,

the combination, in a unitary structure, of a plurality of sets of crushing and separating rolls, the rolls in one set being positioned in an angular relation to the rolls in ing rolls having yieldable fibrous material engaging surfaces.

23. In an apparatus for separating and extracting the fibers from fibrous material, the combination, in a unitary structure, of a plurality of drying rolls arranged in sets, the rolls in one set being disposed angularly With respect to the drying rolls of the set next thereto, said drying rolls having yieldable fiber engaging surfaces.

FRANKLIN H. POWVERS.

the-set next thereto, and a plurality of dry- 7. 

